My Fellow Anguillians, today we mourn the loss of a sister. A young woman in her prime tragically taken from this life. The Anguilla National Council of Women extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends and all who grieve the passing of Ms Taitu Goodwin.
While the facts surrounding this incident are not yet known and the course of justice must not be perverted it is incumbent on all of us to take a stand on matters of any form of violence including domestic violence.
According to the World Health Organization Statistics show that globally 1 in 3 women (35%) in relationships will encounter some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. As a country, it is imperative that we not just have the hard conversations surrounding domestic violence but we must begin to shift the narrative. No longer can we afford to bury our heads in the sand on this matter and pretend it is none of our business. We have to be our sister’s keeper and while we are cognizant of the fact that males are also victims of abused women are disproportionately affected. As a society, we must emphasize that there is no room for toxic masculinity or for shielding and excusing the abusive behaviour displayed by perpetrators. The ideology of victim shaming and blaming have no place in this conversation.
In 2017 the Government of Anguilla passed a robust Domestic Violence Bill providing vast protections in the legal and justice system for victims. More recently, in June 2019, the Anguilla National Council of Women partnered with the Women’s Ministry of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in their “End it NOW Campaign” which culminated with a red flag islandwide motorcade geared towards raising awareness of domestic abuse. However, there is still much work to be done to bring additional awareness to Domestic Violence and to provide additional resources in the fight to eradicate this scourge.
So as we mourn, I urge each of you to channel the pain and anger and hurt that we feel into meaningful purpose, and pledge to do your part in stomping out Domestic violence. The Anguilla National Council of Women looks forward to its usual collaboration with the Gender Affairs Department on the 16 days of Activism slated for later this year.
Your Sister in Service
Glenneva Hodge
President
Anguilla National Council of Women (ANCW)
